Humidifier



Nov. 27", 1923. 1,475,920

C.POHL

HUMIDIFIER Filed March 8, 1921 HVVENTUR.

WJM

ATTORNIIY Patented Nov. 27, 1923.

UNITED STATES v v 1,475,920 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES POHL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, 'ASSIGH OB TO JOHN 0. KING. OFLOS AHGELES, CALIFORNIA.

nominee.

Application med Karen-8, 1921. Serial No. 450,618.

and State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Humidifiers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto a device for introducin steam or watery vapor.into the manifol of an internal combustion engine. The invention alsorelates .to a device capable of functioning to.'mix air, watery vaporand fuel vapor and introducing the mixture into the manifold of theengine.

An objectof the invention is to introduce Y watery vapor into'the enginecylinders without introducing particles of water. It is not new tointroduce watery vapor into the manifold between the engine and thecarbureter,

but with the old devices, some particles ofv water are introduced ,intothe manifold and these particles are either carried into the" engine orthey run backward into the car bureter and mixwith the fuel so as, todestroy the predetermined proportions offnel and air produced by thecarbureter, thus preventing the introduction of a proper to the enginefor explodingin the cylinders. This device is so constructed as to Iseparate particles of water from the vs r.

. other. object of the invention isto provide for pre-he'atin of the airand fuelvar by the heat of e steam or watery vapor mthe radiator. v Theaccompanying drawings illustrate the invention: Figure 1 is asideelevation of a construction .embod 'ng the .invention,-'the upperportion of t e radiator being shown in vertical section.

I IE pipe.-

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of themixing chamber, or jacket, andits partsapplied to the manifold which is shown frag-j mentarily insection.

Figure-3 is a vertical sectional elevation of Figure 2, omitting themanifold, taken on a plane passing through the fuel yapor supre 4 is aninverted lan section on the line ,mdicatedby a:w, igure 2.

The engine proper is indicated at 1 and is provided with the usualintakemanifold 2 I rounding the stem bleconstruction. The fuel supplypipe to the carbureter 3, is indicated at 4. The water jacket of theengine 1 is connected by the by heat of the exploded charges in t eengine in a well known manner. The pipe 7 dischar into a 'acket' ormixing chamber 8 whic .surroun s an inner chamber 9 provided at itslower end with a'port 10 having a valve seat 11 for a valve 12. The stem13 .of the valve extends at its lower end into the port 10 and at itsupper end intoa guideway 13', there bein a coil spring 14 suretween theguide and the removable cap 15 of the jacket in which the way 13" isformed. Screw-threaded into the cap '15 is a pipe ell 16 andcommunicating with the ell is a port or'ports 17 formedin the cap. 15.The ell 16 is screw threaded or otherwise fastened to the manifold 2 andcommunicates therewith so that-on the suction stroke of the engine thepressure .is lowered in the chamber 9, which results in lifting of.thevalve 12. The valve 12 will, of course, be opened to a degree dependentupon the degree of partial vacuum produced bytheengine;

' Communicating with the jacket 8 is a pipe 18 which is connected with asource of fuel vapor supply. Inthis-particular instance the pipe 18connects with the upper portion of the engine crankcase 19 so that anyhydrocarbon vapors in the crank case may be drawn therefrom throu h thepipe 18 into the jacket 8 by lowering o the pressure in the Jacket whenthe va ve 12 is opened. The pipe 18 could, instead; be connected to theup r rtion of the fuel tank as has hereto ore a done. When the pressureis thus lowered in the jacket 8, not onl are fuel vapors introduced intothe jacket, butste'ain or watery vapor is drawn through the pipe 7 intothe jacket. Since the steam 'or watery vapor in the radiator iscomparatively wet, there is a tendency for some of it to quicklycondense and one of the functions of thejacket 8 is to catch thecondensate and separate the same from the vapors or unconnectedwith acarburetor 3 of any suitahureteifi" off from the jacket 8 from time totime tovapors, and it is thismixture that passes from the jacket 8 intothe chamber 9, Where the steam and fuel become yet more inti- -matelyassociated, and thence through the connection 16 to the engine manifoldand finally to the engine cylinders. I

The condensates in the jacket 8 are, of course, quite hot and aremaintained in a hot condition by the continual introduction of steamfrom the radiator. It will thus be seen that a further function of thejacket 8 is to, hold a heating medium in the form of steam, the heatthereof being applied to the jacket 8 and chamber 9 so that the fuelvapors passing through'the jacket and chamber 9 will be preheated beforetheir introduction into the engine manifold. This, of course, tends toproduce a better combustible mixture in the engine than if the wateryvapor and fuel vapors were introduced at a lower temperature. I

In order that the condensate may be drawn prevent filling up of thejacket with the condensate, there is provided a draincock 20 in thebottom of the jacket. 8. The valve 12 cannot be opened beyondapredetermined degree because of the upper end of the valve stem stoppingagainst an abutment 21 formed by the end wall of the Way 13.

If the operator of the engine desires to admit thereto an auxiliarysupply of air in addition to the air that is supplied through thecarbureter, he may open the drain cock 20, thus admitting air from theatmosphere into the heating jacket 8 where such air will become mixedwith the steamand fuel vapor mmeao to pass into the engine. Of course,any

desired means may be provided for opening a and closing the cook 20 froma distant point, for example, from the drivers seat of an automobile onwhich the invention is installed, such means being so well understoodtail herein;

I claim 1. In a h idifier adapted for use in connection with n internalcombustion engine, the combination of a jacket provided with drainingmeans, there being a detachable cap for the jacket, a chamber positionedin the jacket and sealed to the cap, and having a port inits lower endcommunicating with the interior of the jacket, and a suctionope tedvalve to control said port, there being an intake port in the jacket forsteam and there being a pipe fastened to the cap that it is unnecessaryto describe them in deand communicating with the interior of the 4chamber.

2. In a humidifier adapted for use in conuefetion with an internalcombustion engine,

the combination of a jacket provided with draining means, there being adetachablecap for the jacket, and a chamber positioned in the jacket andsealed to the cap and having a port communicating with the interior ofthe jacket, there being an intake port in the jacket for steamand therebeing "a pipe fastened to the-cap and communicating with.

the interior of the "chamber. 1

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 1st day of March,-1921.v

CHARLES POHL.

